It would be hard to come up with one vehicle that would do it all well (from highway to rock climbing to swamp running to hauling, etc.).

A tricked out suburban or big PU would probably be the best compromise. I would probably go with the PU.

I used a van with a custom interior and an older Jeep Cherokee. I have used a van to hunt in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado and New Mexico. The van was a 1984 Chevy with a 350, 2 wheel drive. Inside was a bed, all of our cooking stuff and sleeping gear. The van easily carried 6 people and with the tent slept 6. The Cherokee was 4x4, with hitch tote rack it was perfect for 4 people with their gear for a few days, longer trips we added another vehicle.

Today, I would look at a used 4x4 Ford Expedition. There is a place that makes raised roofs for Expeditions like the old VW camper vans. 4 captain chairs, with a custom interior for camping and a tent for extra sleeping area would be all I need.

But there are so many places you can't take a vehicle at all. Places that ot is illegal for one, like national forests- big thicket, davy crockett, angelina....

Not ideal but better than being on foot in those kind of places

Didn't pay a lot of attention to OPs criteria but that Suburbalanche is a nice rig. Smokeys rig sounded well thought out as well which is no surprise coming from him.

Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro with some good AT tires should get me where I need to go.

well if you want to ride a horse from your house to the davy crockett national forest, have at it.

Those 4 runners are awesome rigs. My neighbor just bought the TRD pro in a smoke metallic grey, its a sweet looking ride

Not anywhere near 100k, but I’ve been really happy with my 2011 long bed diesel. I picked up a campershell (used) before our elk trip in 2015 and it served us very well. Although we didn’t sleep in the back, I think it would have been perfectly fine if we did. I gutted all the factory suspension and put in some soft long travel suspension components, tuned it and I’ve loved it ever since. The camper shell has now been replaced with a folding toneau cover because a pallet of corn was too tall for the camper shell. For around the lease my Canam Defender has been perfect.

Top drive Ford Raptor



Or a Jeep

A 3/4 ton 4 door 4x4 with a removable camper. No sense overthinking it. Camper could come on and off as needed. and should have plenty left over in the budget for the 4 wheeler that would sit in the back for use as needed, oh and a 16' trailer to finish out the ultimate hunting rig. Probably quite a bit under budget

Get any of those pictured in soft wet sand and they will sink. Most UTV s will stay on top.

you gonna drive a UTV down the highway up to the mountains Bill?

Learning how to prep for soft sand is pretty easy Bill and isn't impossible to drive any of the pictured rigs thru. I've driven my truck in deep sand plenty of times with zero issues.

I'll take a 6 cyl tubodiesel, double cab, LandCruiser truck like we hunted out of in Africa. Virtually indestructable machines.

No argument but a little story to tell. We were hunting of an old International Scout east of Falfurrias and got it stuck. Walked out got a brand new 4WD Ford 150. Got it stuck. Walked out got a John Deere tractor. Buried it and bent the axed on the pickup. Had to go back in the spring to get all three vehicles. You could start patting your food on the sand and bring water to the surface. Just trying to push the thread on down the road.

So your ideal vehicle of choice is a 2WD chevy cab and a half 1/2 ton with a gator in the bed?

That's right. When he gets stuck he'll just step into the painting where everything is beautiful all day long.

Back in the day when I was a young salesman, some guys from work and I drove down to the land cut, camped, and fished. Okay, we mostly drank, but we did wet a couple of hooks. We were in truck equipment and had recently entered into (again) the wrecker equipment industry. (A whole buncha the drivers have records. Not exactly a "classy" business.) Anyhow, one of the guys told the guy that does the long retrieves down the beach, "The Sand Flea" (it's painted on the truck), to come by and see us. Nice enough guy. The day we left and headed back up to Corpus, we pass the guy, stuck. I pulled him out with my stock '66 Bronco (with the little six).

I gotta tell you, when it comes to sand and etc. I think you are missing an important part of off road driving- route selection. Avoid those "sand traps" like the plague and if ya gotta drive through one, hit it with some speed and momentum. Deep soft sand sticks anything on wheels and that is that. I have seen just about every kind of 4 wheel drive truck stuck to the axle on the fire breaks on Fort Bragg. They lay down fresh sand every year to fill in the giant ruts and etc and you just get stuck in them. No way around that- well one way, or two- get out and look, walk through before you drive through. Pick another route. Or if it is short enough hit ot with some speed.

I had one of those too before I got a pickup -- still miss it. I would not call it cheap though...

It would absolutely be a Land Cruiser diesel, probably a 105 series or maybe a newer double cab truck.. Tons of these here in Central America..

For under 100 grand Hummer H1

Just my .02,
LeonCarr

I currently have a 98' 4x4 Toyota Four Runner that does very well. Will be on the block soon.

2011 F-250 4x4